UNION TYRANNY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17419, 1 April 1922, Page 18

UNION TYRANNY.

KILLING COMMONWEALTH STEAMSHIP ENTERPRISE.

(from our own correspondent.) SYDNEY, March 25. Because of tho tyrannous attitude adopted by Australian unions, there ia overy likelihood of tho operations of the Commonwealth line of steamers, ia which £10,000,000 of tho poople'smoney has been invested, coming t 0 an end, either by tho laying-up of tho vosseli, or their acquisition by tho oversea shipping amalgamation. The trouble has arisen in connexion with the two latest vessels of the line, I the Moroum Bay and tlu* Largs ftay. liiese vessels, which were built in Groat 1 liritain, arrived in Australia on their ; maiden voyages recently, manned by ; i crews signed on in England. Owing to ' I tho dictates of tho Australian Sen men's ( I'nion, tlieso crews were signed off in , Sydney, and replaced by members of ; tue Australian I'nion, which would not ' oven allow tite English crew to become I members of tho local union. Tho union [ hero went so far jus to supply only the | exact number of men required for the | erows —tho enptains had no opportunity |of making selections, hut had to take just whom the union sent to them. Tho attitude of the Australian Union brought forth a protest from Mr Rava. lock Wilson, of tho National Sailoraf and Firemen's Union (England), who cabled pointing out that his union would have to take steps to protect ita own members' interests if tho Australian organisation refused to permit seamen from overseas transferring to the local body. The Federal Cabinet lias now an» nouncod that it will tolerate no further dictation by the union. In explaining tho decision of the Ministry, the Prime Minister (Mr Hughes) said that the tactics adopted by the Seamen'® Union had helped to croato a situation which made it absolutely impossible to carry on. It was becoming increasingly evident, ho said, that tho Government would liavo to reconsidor its policy of shipbuilding. It was obvious that if ships wero to bo built at price# much in excor.s of tho markot rate, and if the management of the line was not permitted to control tho rtinning of its vessels, but must submit to the dictation of men whose ono object was to prevent it from being run on lines which would make both onda meet, there was only one course open to the Government. "Whatever may bo the quarrel botween organised Labour and Capital," ho said, "I have nothing what* ever to do with it. That is a quarrel tho issue of which does not arise here. The line is a socialised industry, The steamers belong to tho people. There is no watered capital, and thero are no profits going to Capital. It is the peoplo's money, used for the people's service, and now we see how this union acts towards this great enterprise in which some £10,000,000 of the people's money has been invested.''

It is expected that matters will bo brought to a crisis on the arrival of the next Commonwealth vessel, the Hobson's Bay. The Ministry has announced that the captain of th© vob&ql shall have absolute control in the seleotion of his crew, and that if the union persists in its policy of dictation, the vessel will be thrown idle. If this is dono there is no doubt that the union will call out its men from the other vessels of the fleet. The holding up of the fleet will probably lead to a re> consideration by the Cabinet of an offer made some time ago by the Ship, ping Combine for the acquisition of thf fleet.